Fruit-filled dough products, sometimes called turnovers or single-serve pies, are a widely sold food item. The filling of such food products typically comprises small pieces of fruit suspended in a syrup or similar fluid medium.
In a known process for mass-producing fruit turnovers, a sheeting line conveyor carries a flat sheet of dough, upon which is deposited a measured amount of fruit filling. The fruit filling typically is deposited on the sheet of dough using a volumetric piston filler that is operable to dispense measured amounts of filling at spaced intervals along the dough sheet. Another dough sheet is placed over the deposits of fruit filling, the two dough sheets are crimped around the deposits and separated into individual turnovers, and any excess dough is trimmed from the turnovers. The turnovers can then be individually packaged and frozen for distribution to restaurants or other food-service facilities.
Turnovers produced by conventional means have several drawbacks. For example, the fruit filling necessarily contains relatively small fruit pieces to permit pumping and dispensing of the filling. The small fruit pieces reduce the perceived naturalness and nutritiousness of the product. Further reducing the appeal of such a filling is the fact that its fruit content normally must be cooked before processing to prevent oxidation of the fruit. By the time a consumer eats the turnover, the fruit has been heated twice, resulting in a taste that is far from fresh. As can be appreciated, turnovers made by conventional means do not look or taste like they are homemade.
Other disadvantages of mass-produced turnovers include those resulting from the high liquid content of the filling and the high mobility of the liquid. If soggy crust is to be avoided, a fluid-resistant lining typically is formed on the dough during processing. In addition to complicating the formulation and manufacture of the dough crust, such a lining is not normally found in home-cooked turnovers or pies, and hence further reduces the perceived naturalness and familiarity of the product.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a food product that more closely resembles a homemade pie in appearance and taste than products made by conventional processes.